Capitalization

1. Capitalize all proper nouns, and do not capitalize common nouns.
   1. Correct: The Agnews bought a silver-back gorilla.
   2. Incorrect: The Family bought a silver-back gorilla.
2. Capitalize job titles that precede a proper name.
   1. Correct: The team dumped a cooler of water on Coach Shelly after the close victory.
   2. Incorrect: The team dumped a cooler of water on Chris Shelly, the Football Coach.
3. Do not capitalize job titles when used without the person's name.
   1. The principal addresses the school board at each meeting.
4. Capitalize days of the week, months, holidays, and special events.
   1. Correct: The Homecoming Dance will be on a Friday instead of a Saturday this year.
   2. Incorrect: The 5K walk will take place on thanksgiving weekend.
5. Capitalize the full names of streets, schools, businesses, and other organizations.
   1. Correct: Springfield Township High School, on Paper Mill Rd. in Flourtown, was recently named a No Place for Hate school by the Anti-Defamation League.
   2. Incorrect: Students assisted in the walk, which was organized by the springfield township community society.
6. Seasons, clock abbreviations, and other time designations are not capitalized.
   1. Correct: In the winter the game club will move their meeting time from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
   2. Incorrect: This Winter, the game club will move their meeting time from 3:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M.
7. Do not capitalize cardinal directions.
   1. Correct: The school faces west.
   2. Incorrect: The school faces West.
8. Capitalize compass points that indicate geographic regions.
   1. The Eastern Seaboard is in the east.
9. Capitalize compass points that refer to a particular location.
   1. The riot occurred in Northeast Philadelphia.
10. Capitalize class designations in reference to an entire group.
    1. The Junior Class is current 101 students strong.
11. Do not capitalize designations when they refer to individuals.
    1. Nathan Kosmin, sophomore, won the school's technology award.
12. Do not capitalize the names of grades.
    1. Erin Agnew is in the sixth grade.
13. Capitalize names of specific courses, but not the names of academic departments or disciplines.
    1. Correct: He enjoys the social sciences, which prompted him to take Introduction to Urban Sociology.
    2. Incorrect: She says that her honors physics class is always fascinating.
14. Capitalize college degrees when they are abbreviated, but not when they are spelled out.
    1. Correct: M.B.A. masters in business administration
    2. Incorrect: m.b.a Masters in Business Administration